Jill Atkinson

Associate Professor and Chair of Undergraduate Studies

Contact Information:

Department of Psychology 
Humphrey Hall, 62 Arch Street
Queen's University
Kingston, Ontario
Canada, K7L 3N6

Telephone: 613-533-6018
Fax: 613-533-2499
Email: jill.atkinson at queensu.ca

Links:

Undergraduate Program at Queen's University
Faculty of Arts & Science (Psychology Courses)

Education:

Bachelor of Music (1983), Queen’s University
B.A.H. Psychology (1986), Queen’s University
M.A.Sc. Psychology (1988), University of Waterloo
Ph.D. Psychology (1998), Queen’s University

Teaching:

Adjunct Associate Professor  (2007-present).  Queen’s University.  I developed, and have annually taught a senior undergraduate seminar course (one semester) evaluating early prevention programs for high risk youth and their families. 

Adjunct Assistant Professor (2001-2007). Queen's University. I developed, and annually taught a senior undergraduate seminar course (one semester) evaluating early prevention programs for high risk youth and their families.

Teaching Assistant (1988-90). Queen’s University.  Undergraduate psychology courses: Statistics, Developmental Psychology, and Abnormal Psychology.

Instructor (1988). Sheridan College.  Stress and the psychology of wellbeing.  A 12-week adult education course in stress management covering nutrition, exercise, assertiveness, relaxation training, time management, and related topics.

Teaching Assistant (1986-88). University of Waterloo.  Undergraduate psychology courses: Educating Exceptional Children, Statistics, Adolescence, and Personality.

Employment:

Queen’s University (2002-present).  I am a full time continuing adjunct associate professor in the department of psychology, serving as the Chair of Undergraduate Studies.  My responsibility for the undergraduate program includes enrolment management, staffing, timetabling, curriculum development, TA development, student advising, student appeals, undergraduate awards, and faculty relations. I am also responsible for co-coordinating PSYC 100, a large year-long introductory course with a complement of 6 faculty instructors, and 15 graduate students who provide lecture-tutorials.     

 Q&A Consultants, Inc.  (1999-2005).  I was the director and an employee of a small company that I owned with my husband.  Q&A Consultants, Inc. provided a range of psychological services to governments, social service agencies, and academic institutions.  These services included assessment, education and training, and consulting on specific problems and projects. 

As the director, I was responsible for managing the company, including hiring and supervising contract staff, bookkeeping, tax returns, marketing and communications.  As an employee, I completed psychological risk assessments for the National Parole Board, as well and training and supervising psychometrists in this task.  In addition, I provided advice on academic programming and developed multiple choice test materials for the American Psychological Association.  Through Q&A Consultants, I provided psychological services to the Isabel McNeill House, a small minimum-security facility for federally sentenced women for 6 years.  This included individual cognitive-behavioural treatment, the development of individual behavioural programs, consultation with the Psychiatrist and Case Management Teams, and consultation with the correctional staff on the management of self-injurious and aggressive behaviour.
           
Better Beginnings, Better Futures (1997-1999). I was the site researcher for the Kingston site of a tri-ministerial prevention project for high risk families across Ontario.  Supervising a 4-member team of research assistants, I oversaw the collection of longitudinal data based upon in-home interviews and the standardized testing of infants, children and their parents.  I was also directly responsible for producing qualitative reports documenting the project’s programs, organization, management, agency, and community involvement.

 Prison for Women (1991-1997).  I provided psychological services including risk and needs assessments, crisis, short-term and long-term individual and group treatment.  I developed and evaluated a treatment program for fraud offenders (with Heather McLean) and developed an assessment protocol for female sex offenders.  My work also included staff training, the development of behavioural programs, providing the administration with ongoing advice on crisis intervention, and the management of special needs offenders.

People Against Abuse in Lennox & Addington (1993-1994).  Peer support trainer and consultant.  Evaluated the need for peer support groups for survivors of sexual assault in Lennox & Addington County, organized quarterly professional workshops for professional and lay group facilitators, co-facilitated groups for female sexual assault survivors: three in local high schools for adolescent women, and one for women leaving the L&A Interval House, provided formal and informal consultation for therapy groups provided by the L&A Community Mental Health Services and helped with their transition to a peer model.  All groups and workshops were systematically evaluated for consumer satisfaction and knowledge.

Queen’s Counseling Service (1989-1990).  Career counseling, assertiveness and communication skills training, individually and in groups.  Cognitive-behavioural treatment of depressed women.

Clinical Practica and Internships:

Prison For Women (1990-1991).  Training of peer counselors.  Crisis, short-term, and long-term treatment using cognitive-behavioural techniques for women having difficulties with depression, self-injury, dissociation, suicidal behaviour, anger management, institutional adjustment, fraudulent behaviour, and preparation for release.  Preparing and presenting psychological reports for the National Parole Board.

Ontario Correctional Institute (1987-88). Psychological testing, interviewing, and the preparation and presentation of intake reports.  Administration and interpretation of neuropsychological and personality tests.  Group therapy with sex offenders and substance abusers.  

Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational Institute (1987).  In-depth psycho-educational assessments; developed and implemented remedial programs for 3 students.

Queen’s Counseling Service (1989-1990).  Career counseling, assertiveness and communication skills training, individually and in groups.  Cognitive-behavioural treatment of depressed women.

People Against Abuse in Lennox & Addington (1993-1994).  Peer support trainer and consultant.  Evaluated the need for peer support groups for survivors of sexual assault in Lennox & Addington County, organized quarterly professional workshops for professional and lay group facilitators, co-facilitated groups for female sexual assault survivors: three in local high schools for adolescent women, and one for women leaving the L&A Interval House, provided formal and informal consultation for therapy groups provided by the L&A Community Mental Health Services and helped with their transition to a peer model.  All groups and workshops were systematically evaluated for consumer satisfaction and knowledge.

Prison for Women (1991-1997). A continuation of the assessment, crisis, short-term and long-term treatment that I began during my 8-month internship in addition to the development and evaluation of a treatment program for fraud offenders and the development of an assessment protocol for female sex offenders.  My work has also included staff training, the development of behavioural programs, providing the administration with ongoing advice on crisis intervention, and the management of special needs offenders.

Better Beginnings, Better Futures (1997-1999). I was the site researcher for the Kingston site of a tri-ministerial prevention project for high risk families across Ontario.  Supervising a 4-member team of research assistants, I oversaw the collection of longitudinal data based upon in-home interviews and the standardized testing of infants, children and their parents.  I was also directly responsible for producing qualitative reports documenting the project’s programs, organization, management, agency, and community involvement.

Q&A Consultants, Inc.  (1999-present).  I am the director and an employee of a company that I own with my husband.  Q&A Consultants, Inc. provides a range of psychological services to governments, social service agencies, and academic institutions.  These services include assessment, education and training, and consulting on specific problems and projects. 

As the director, I am responsible for managing the company, including hiring and supervising contract staff, bookkeeping, tax returns, marketing, and communications.  As an employee, I have completed psychological risk assessments for the National Parole Board, as well as training and supervising psychometrists in this task.  In addition, I have provided advice on academic programming and developed multiple choice test materials for the American Psychological Association. Through Q&A Consultants, I currently provide psychological services to the Isabel McNeill House, a small minimum security facility for federally sentenced women. 

Volunteer Work:

Winston Churchill Public School (1999-2005). I am currently Past Chair, and previously served as Chair and Vice-Chair, of this public school's School Council. My primary duties included representing the school community to the Principal, Superintendent, provincial government, and to the public, as well as organizing and chairing monthly council meetings. Other duties included communicating relevant information from the Minister of Education and the Education Improvement Commission to the school community, and representing the school at School Board meetings. I have also chaired the school’s annual fundraising auction.

Gently Rocking Horse Daycare (1993-2000).  I have been Vice-President, President, and Secretary of this nonprofit daycare's Board of Directors.  I have participated in budget development, supervised management personnel, co-coordinated an expansion of services, and organized and chaired business meetings.

Peer Education Program on Acquaintance Sexual Assault (1993-1996).  Member of a professional steering committee to provide advice on selection, training, program integrity, and the evaluation of a peer education program for Queen’s University residences. I participated in the development of educational videos, worked to standardize and improve the validity of the screening process, and provided training in group facilitation.

Research:

Atkinson, J.L. (1998).  The use of neutralizations among male and female fraud offenders.  Ph.D. dissertation, Queen’s University.

Atkinson, J.L. (1988).  The impact of threatening and nonthreatening questions and clinician gender on the self-disclosure of male incarcerates.  M.A.Sc. Research Project, University of Waterloo.

Atkinson, J.L. (1986). Social perspective-taking deficits in young offenders in comparison to their nondelinquent agemates. B.A.H. thesis, Queen’s University.

Publications:

Atkinson, J.L. and Quinsey, V.L. (submitted). Neutralizations of male and female offenders. Criminal Justice and Behaviour. (MS#09-118).

Folsom, J. and Atkinson, J.L. (2007). The Generalizability of the LSI-R and the CAT to the Prediction of Recidivism in Female Offenders. Criminal Justice and Behaviour, 34(8), 1044-1056.

Folsom, J. and Atkinson, J.L. (2007) The Generalizability of the LSI-R and the CAT to the Prediction of Recidivism in Female Offenders.  Criminal Justice and Behaviour, 34(8), 1044-1056. 

Atkinson, J.L. (1996). Female sex offenders:  A literature review. Forum on Corrections Research, 8(2), 39-42.

Atkinson, J.L. (1995). The Assessment of Female Sex Offenders.  Kingston, ON: Correctional Service of Canada, April, 1995.

Atkinson, J.L. & McLean, H. (1994). Women and fraud:  Results of a program at the Prison for Women.  Forum on Corrections Research, 6(1), 39-41.

Presentations and Workshops:

Folsom, J. and Atkinson, J.L. (2008). Release Type, level of risk, and re-offence rate of female offenders. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the annual Canadian Psychological Associaton Conference, Halifax, NS, June.

Folsom, J. and Atkinson, J.L. (2006) The Generalizability of the LSI-R and the CAT to the Prediction of Recidivism in Women Offenders.  Poster presented at 2006 CPA conference.

Folsom, N. J. & Atkinson, J.L. (1998).  The relationship between the Level of Supervision   Inventory (LSI) and other variables known to predict recidivism in a sample of federally sentenced women.  Poster presented at the 12th Annual Penetanguishene Forensic Conference "Substance Abuse, Aggression and Mental Disorder", 
Penetanguishene, Ontario, June.   

Atkinson, J.L. (1997).  Female Sex Offenders.  Paper presented at the conference on Mental Heath Problems of Women Offenders, Kingston, Ontario, October.

Atkinson, J.L. (1994).  Self-injury and multiplicity.  Presentation to the Multiple Personality and Dissociation Society, Kingston, Ontario, February.

Atkinson, J.L. (1993).  Self-injury. Workshop for the Sexual Abuse Subcommittee of People Against Abuse in Lennox & Addington, Napanee, Ontario, November.

Atkinson, J.L. (1993).  Self-injurious behaviour.  Kingston Psychiatric Hospital Rounds, Kingston, Ontario, March.

Atkinson, J.L. (1993).  Self-injurious behaviour.  Workshop for Continuing Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, Queen’s University,  Kingston, Ontario. February.

McLean, H. & Atkinson, J.L. (1992).  Treating female fraud offenders using relapse prevention techniques in a group context.  Workshop.  Elizabeth Fry Society, Toronto, March.

Atkinson, J.L. (1992).  Self-injurious behaviour.  Algonquin College, Ottawa, March.
 
Atkinson, J.L. & McLean, H. (1992). The treatment program for federally sentenced female fraud offenders at the Prison for Women. Clinical Brown Bag Seminar, Queen’s University Psychology Dept, January.